Why Fair Trade Matters

I am here in Burlington, Vermont for some insight on why Ben & Jerry’s has shifted to sourcing only fair trade ingredients. All of the company’s ingredients will be fair trade certified by 2011 in Europe; the same will be true in the USA by 2013. Fair Trade USA is working closely with Ben & Jerry’s on this massive shift.

Why does Fair Trade matter? Paying a slight premium for goods from cotton to bananas to coffee ensures that farmers get a decent price for their crops; that their kids go to school and they have access to credit; and middlemen, who often exploited these farmers, are cut out of the picture.

For more detail on why Fair Trade USA’s work is so important, and why paying a fair price is better than just handing out money, please watch this video: